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25040Venturebeat.comCanadian mechanic builds a ski carhttp://venturebeat.com/2016/03/07/canadian-mechanic-builds-a-ski-car/
http://venturebeat.com/2016/03/07/canadian-mechanic-builds-a-ski-car/#respondTue, 08 Mar 2016 05:39:55 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=1891169Being Canadian means a lot of things. For example, I’ve driven a car, an ATV, and a snowmobile. But this, this is something else. Canadian inventor and mechanic Tod Anderson has taken a Smart car and converted it into a … snowmobile car? Snow car? Ski car — Let’s go with that because I just […]
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Being Canadian means a lot of things. For example, I’ve driven a car, an ATV, and a snowmobile. But this, this is something else.

Canadian inventor and mechanic Tod Anderson has taken a Smart car and converted it into a … snowmobile car? Snow car? Ski car — Let’s go with that because I just got back from a ski trip.

In short, Anderson decided to add custom skis to the front of his 2006 Smart car and winter ATV tracks to the rear, because why the hell not. The result? A diesel-fueled ski car that lets you drive across snow at speeds up to 70 km/h (that’s 43.5 mph for y’all Americans).

Seriously, why drive a snowmobile when you can do the same thing in the comfort of a warm car?

The story goes that the invention was a local secret, until last week when someone snapped a picture and uploaded it to Reddit.

It inevitably went viral. The original photo, shared below, was simply captioned “Only in Canada.”

“It’s just a thought that came to me and it seemed like the right thing to do,” Anderson told CTV News. “It’s a rear-drive, rear-engine car, so it’s ideal for this sort of thing. The whole point of this exercise was to see if it could be done.”

Well, point proven. And apparently Anderson says it only cost him about $7,000 CAD (that’s $5,250 USD) and six weeks to build. If he ever wants his Smart car back, it only takes an hour to put the wheels back on.

I’m having difficulty finishing this up because my mind keeps skiing off on its own to imagine what I would with my own ski car. Oh geez, what if all my friends had their own ski cars? The only real problem here is that the ski car isn’t street legal.

Yet.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2016/03/07/canadian-mechanic-builds-a-ski-car/feed/01891169Canadian mechanic builds a ski carWatch this engineer use an exoskeleton to lift a Mini Cooperhttp://venturebeat.com/2016/01/25/watch-this-engineer-use-an-exoskeleton-to-lift-a-mini-cooper/
http://venturebeat.com/2016/01/25/watch-this-engineer-use-an-exoskeleton-to-lift-a-mini-cooper/#respondTue, 26 Jan 2016 04:35:13 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=1867155One time, when my car broke down, I spent an hour physically pushing it half a block just so that I could avoid getting a parking ticket. If only I’d had an exoskeleton that let me simply lift it up … Inventor James Hobson, who calls himself The Hacksmith, is obsessed with exoskeletons. In 2014, […]
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One time, when my car broke down, I spent an hour physically pushing it half a block just so that I could avoid getting a parking ticket. If only I’d had an exoskeleton that let me simply lift it up …

More specifically, Hobson’s latest exoskeleton allows him to pick up the back of a Mini Cooper:

The Hacksmith says he is on a quest to build a full-body powered exoskeleton. In fact, according to his post on Hackaday, the mechanical engineer quit his full-time job as a product developer late last year to focus on “exoskeletons, YouTube, and effectively become a ‘Hacker for Hire’.”

And that’s how the project kicked off:

Shortly after that, the German Science show Galileo reached out and asked if they could feature my new exoskeleton on their show — I agreed, and may or may not have promised them a feat of strength I wasn’t even sure I’d be capable of doing — lifting a car.

Like most engineers, I work best under pressure, so with less than a week to go before the interview, we started working on the legs. Getting the strength to lift a car was quite easy. I had a pair of 63mm bore diameter pneumatic cylinders, which at 125PSI are capable of lifting over 800lbs a piece. The fun part was attaching them to my body in order to do it.

Again, many will argue that he didn’t lift the car completely off the ground — just the back two wheels. But don’t worry, according to the video, his next goal is to flip the car.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2016/01/25/watch-this-engineer-use-an-exoskeleton-to-lift-a-mini-cooper/feed/01867155Watch this engineer use an exoskeleton to lift a Mini CooperGoogle starts testing its custom-built self-driving cars in Austin, Texashttp://venturebeat.com/2015/09/18/google-starts-testing-its-custom-built-self-driving-cars-in-austin-texas/
http://venturebeat.com/2015/09/18/google-starts-testing-its-custom-built-self-driving-cars-in-austin-texas/#respondFri, 18 Sep 2015 14:50:33 +0000https://venturebeat.com/?p=1805895Google today announced it has started testing its custom-built self-driving cars in Austin, Texas. The company said it is driving “a few” of the prototype vehicles around town, which are referred to as “the koala cars, panda balls and many other names.” This is a natural progression for Google’s vehicle project in Austin. It mirrors […]
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Google today announced it has started testing its custom-built self-driving cars in Austin, Texas. The company said it is driving “a few” of the prototype vehicles around town, which are referred to as “the koala cars, panda balls and many other names.”

This is a natural progression for Google’s vehicle project in Austin. It mirrors the company’s rollout in Mountain View, California, where Google first started testing modified Lexus RX450h sport utility vehicles before putting its own custom-built prototypes on the road in June. In July, Google brought its Lexus self-driving cars to Austin, and now it’s expanding the test to its cute custom-built vehicles.

Google’s custom-built cars are designed from the ground up to be fully self-driving, using the same software as the Lexus vehicles that have driven over 1 million miles since the project started. They’re ultimately supposed to work without a steering wheel or pedals, but during testing the company has safety drivers aboard with a removable steering wheel, accelerator pedal, and brake pedal that allow them to take over driving if needed. Furthermore, the prototypes have their speed capped at 25mph (40km/h).

Google doesn’t plan to manufacture these cars itself. It hopes to partner with car companies once it finds that its self-driving technology is ready for prime time. Until then, however, Google wants to have complete control so that it can properly test, tweak, and improve the hardware and software.

Just like in Mountain View, Google is asking Austin residents to join its Paint the Town initiative. Anyone can submit art to be placed on the company’s prototype vehicles. Up to five pieces will be selected to go on the cars, and all selected artists will also get a ride in a self-driving vehicle. The submission deadline is November 1, 2015.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2015/09/18/google-starts-testing-its-custom-built-self-driving-cars-in-austin-texas/feed/01805895Google starts testing its custom-built self-driving cars in Austin, TexasGoogle’s self-driving bubble cars begin tests on California roads this summerhttp://venturebeat.com/2015/05/15/googles-self-driving-bubble-cars-will-begin-tests-on-california-roads-this-summer/
http://venturebeat.com/2015/05/15/googles-self-driving-bubble-cars-will-begin-tests-on-california-roads-this-summer/#respondFri, 15 May 2015 09:39:52 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=1731226Silicon Valley is about to get a new drinking game: Spot the autonomous Google bubble car. The search giant said today that the happy-face cars it designed from the ground up to be self-driving will start testing on the open roads. “We’re looking forward to learning how the community perceives and interacts with the vehicles, […]
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Silicon Valley is about to get a new drinking game: Spot the autonomous Google bubble car.

The search giant said today that the happy-face cars it designed from the ground up to be self-driving will start testing on the open roads.

“We’re looking forward to learning how the community perceives and interacts with the vehicles, and to uncovering challenges that are unique to a fully self-driving vehicle,” wrote Chris Urmson, director of Google’s Self-Driving Car Project, in a blog post.

Of course, Google self-driving cars have been roaming the wilds of Silicon Valley’s highways and byways for sometime now. But these were Lexus RX450h SUVs that had the self-driving technology added on.

Those cars have driven almost 1 million miles, according to Google. There have only been four accidents involving self-driving cars, and two of them were the result of a pesky old human driving.

Last year, Google decided to build a self-driving car from scratch. These prototypes lacked a few features aimed at humans, like steering wheels, mirrors, and pedals. Google isn’t intending to manufacture these cars, but was hoping to find partners eventually who will.

After testing Bubble Car in its labs, the company will now starting driving it on local roads. The speed is capped at 25 mph. And for now, there will be safety drivers on board with a temporary steering wheel, brake, and accelerator pedal in cases of emergencies.

The idea is as cool as it is durable: An all-electric reincarnation of the classic Volkswagen Bus, beloved people carrier of the Sixties and Seventies.

It was first mentioned fully five years ago, when Volkswagen showed an all-electric taxi concept based on an updated minivan with all the design cues of the VW Bus.

A further concept followed the next year, an electric Bulli (the German name for what North Americans call the VW Bus).

With Volkswagen now selling the VW e-Golf in North America and Europe, and VW Group planning to issue a variety of plug-in hybrid and battery-electric models, the idea of an electric Microbus has come up again.

This time it came from no less a personage than board member Heinz-Jakob Neusser, as quoted in England’s Autocar magazine during a New York Auto Show roundtable.

Neusser said VW vehicle developers and engineers are now working on a revived Bulli powered by a battery pack in the floor that feeds an electric motor driving the front wheels.

It is, in short, an evolution of the current Volkswagen e-Golf powertrain, but likely with a much higher-capacity lithium-ion battery pack.

Neusser specified three required design elements to convey the classic identity of the Microbus.

First, the rearmost roof pillars must be thick; second, the center section must be boxy and rectilinear; and finally, the hood must have a very short overhang, as close as modern safety engineering will permit to the flat front of the original buses.

The smaller size of an electric traction motor, compared to the height of an engine-and-transmission combination, Neusser said, would help achieve that last design point.

Any all-electric Microbus would still have to have “an attractive cost base,” he noted.

And whether such a vehicle could still be priced to lure sufficient buyers with a range of 120 miles or more remains a very open question.

Still, with only one all-electric compact van offered by a global maker in any volume — that would be the Nissan e-NV200 — the market would seem to be wide open.

In the coming decade, cities across the globe may push to convert some portion of their taxi fleets — which cover far higher annual mileages than private vehicles — to battery-electric propulsion to reduce emission.

And, hey, how cool would it be to hail an all-electric VW Microbus? We’d ride that one for sure.

]]>1694218Electric Volkswagen Bus teased again: Will it be real this time?Honda Fuel-Cell vehicle U.S. sales date gets a little fuzzierhttp://venturebeat.com/2015/03/05/honda-fuel-cell-vehicle-u-s-sales-date-gets-a-little-fuzzier/
Fri, 06 Mar 2015 04:15:05 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?post_type=vb_syndicated&p=1673780Honda is expected to join Toyota and Hyundai in offering hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in the U.S., but the timeline for that may have become a bit fuzzier. The Japanese automaker has already shown two concept cars previewing the design of its fuel-cell vehicle. But now Honda seems to have given itself a later window for […]
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Honda is expected to join Toyota and Hyundai in offering hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles in the U.S., but the timeline for that may have become a bit fuzzier.

The Japanese automaker has already shown two concept cars previewing the design of its fuel-cell vehicle. But now Honda seems to have given itself a later window for when the production version may go on sale in North America.

A press release that covered the company’s 2015 Geneva Motor Show activities said the fuel-cell car will go on sale in Japan in the first half of 2016, followed by the U.S. and Europe “within the following 12 months.”

The company previously said it would launch the fuel-cell car in Japan in March 2016, with U.S. and European launches at some undetermined point after that — although those dates were widely assumed to be before the end of 2016.

Earlier, at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, Honda said it hoped to launch its fuel-cell production car in 2015. That would have been much closer to matching the schedule of the 2016 Toyota Mirai.

Instead, last fall Honda unveiled an updated version of the FCEV concept it showed in L.A. Simply called FCV, its design appeared much closer to production readiness. The FCV concept was a five-seat mid-size sedan with a 100-kilowatt (134 horsepower) fuel-cell stack and an estimated range of 300 miles.

While the production model’s arrival date appears to be up in the air, Honda is nonetheless investing in hydrogen fueling infrastructure in both the U.S. and Japan.

At the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, it announced plans to provide FirstElement Fuel with $13.8 million to building hydrogen fueling stations in California.

Along with Toyota and Nissan, Honda is also involved in a project to develop fueling infrastructure in Japan — which may include funding for stations there as well.

Even 10 years ago, the idea of a “family sedan” that could accelerate from 0 to 60 miles an hour in less than 4 seconds was something between a rarity and a fantasy.

Even more delusional was the thought of a stock family sedan that could exceed 200 mph.

Those heady performance figures were traditionally the territory of extremely expensive sports cars and exotics — but has Tesla invaded this turf with its highest-performance Model S electric luxury sedan, the P85D?

The challenge of a fast 0-to-60-mph time depends on three factors: the weight of the vehicle, the torque and power of its motor(s) or engine, and traction — or the ability to get that power to the road without spinning the tires uselessly.

Today’s horsepower champion among so-called family sedans is the 2015 Dodge Charger Hellcat, with an advertised 707 hp. But only its rear wheels are powered, so it doesn’t have the real off-the-line grip to use all that power most efficiently.

Above: The Dodge Charger Hellcat, one of the world’s fastest sedans.

Image Credit: Dodge

It is also weighs at around 4,600 pounds; the combination delivers a very loud 0-to-60-mph acceleration time of 3.7 seconds on stock tires, with a listed to speed of 204 mph — despite a drag coefficient of around 0.35.

At full throttle, this raw beast sucks fuel at 1.5 gallons per minute — and will run its tank dry in around 13 minutes. Range anxiety, anyone?

Three of the most powerful European luxury vehicles — the Audi RS7, Bentley Continental GT, and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG — each have all-wheel-drive, to allow their gasoline engines (rated from 550 to 577 hp) to get all their power to the pavement.

Each can deliver a 0-to-60-mph time of less than 4 seconds and a top speed of more than 180 mph when fully at song. The fastest of these monsters, the Bentley Continental GT, claims a top end of 198 mph.

These classic power demons appear to be limited in top speed by a lack of aerodynamic efficiency, since their claimed drag coefficients are in around 0.33 to 0.35 and each has frontal area of around 25 to 28 square feet.

They also weigh more than 4,000 pounds, limiting performance.

Enter the P85D

In terms of weight, the Tesla Model S P85D is the heaviest, at just a shade under 5,000 pounds, representing a theoretical drawback for its 0-60 performance.

As for traction, it has all wheel drive and near 50-50 weight distribution, both pluses for getting all its power to the road surface.

It also has perhaps the best traction control of any of these vehicles, modulating the power delivered by each of its two motors (front and rear) to ensure it always delivers full power to the pavement.

The P85D also has more power than any of the Europeans, at a combined 691 hp. It may well also have more torque delivered to the wheel, as the slightly more powerful Charger Hellcat has its output measured at the flywheel, not at the wheels.

Lowest drag by far

Because the P85D dispenses entirely with a transmission–against the eight-speed automatic the Hellcat must use to match its peaky engine power to road speed — its powertrain is more direct, and so will have fewer losses between engine or motor output and the ground.

Then there’s drag; the Model S P85D has a confirmed drag coefficient of 0.24, a fundamental advantage at higher speeds.

Above: The Tesla P85D

Image Credit: Tesla

So, which sedan has the fastest 0-to-60-mph time? The answer is abundantly clear: The P85D will smoke any of these other super sedans running on standard street tires.

All the more impressive that it’s an electric car, from a maker barely 10 years old.

About top speed…

Both the Dodge Charger Hellcat and the 552-hp Aston Martin Rapide max out at 203 or 204 miles an hour.

With far lower drag, far more power, the P85D ought to be able to top 210 mph — if CEO Elon Musk would let his engineers remove the speed limiter.

Given the relative energy densities of lithium-ion batteries versus gasoline (hint: gasoline’s much higher), even a fully charged P85D might deliver only one or two top-speed runs.

But, of course, virtually nobody ever really drives a car to these extremes.

Still, top speed remains a major bragging factor in the sale of high-end cars.

Not to mention that thousands of P85D owners really crave the bragging rights that such a statistic would offer them.

So, Mr. Musk: Take off the speed governor completely, at least on the P85D, and let’s see what the car can do!

Buy an expensive ride these days, and it’s no doubt packed with an array of sensors, screens, cameras, and other built-in technology. But if you’re still driving an old beater or you’ve recently bought something basic, a new gadget may help you join the world of connected cars.

Known as CarVi, the round, black device mounts on a vehicle’s windshield, communicating with the driver’s smart phone. As he or she speeds down the road or highway, the CarVi app constantly analyzes video captured by the device, looking for signs of danger.

Designed to watch for unsafe lane changes, front-end collision risk, reckless driving, and a variety of other dangerous behavior, CarVi is meant to both alert the driver to the potential for danger and analyze it so the driver can later understand how to better operate their car.

CarVi launched an Indiegogo campaign earlier today, aiming to raise $100,000. As of this writing, it’s made it about a quarter of the way, bringing in $24,628 with 43 days left to go.

CarVi is hoping parents of young drivers will flock to the device to keep their kids from becoming a statistic. The company said car crashes are the leading cause of death for American teens, and 20 percent of all 16-year-old drivers get in an accident within their first year behind the wheel.

Automakers may be jealous of an app that adds connected car technology so easily. Although Audi, Mercedes, Toyota, Ford, and others are increasingly embedding technology into their vehicles, they must put those features through rigorous testing in order to insure it’s safe. This is clearly a work-around that will bring some of those features — though clearly not nearly all the tools that can be found in a $75,000 car — into anyone’s hands.

The devices are expected to eventually sell for $300, but the earliest Indiegogo donors get first crack at the CarVi for $249. When the first tier of devices sell out, the price will rise to $275. The company said it expects to start shipping this August.

There are, of course, other apps meant to help drivers be safer. Among them are Mojio, Automatic, and others.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2015/02/05/connected-car-device-aims-to-help-drivers-avoid-becoming-a-statistic/feed/01656768Connected car device aims to help drivers avoid becoming a statisticVerizon Vehicle can turn any junker into a connected carhttp://venturebeat.com/2015/01/13/verizon-vehicle-can-turn-any-junker-into-a-connected-car/
http://venturebeat.com/2015/01/13/verizon-vehicle-can-turn-any-junker-into-a-connected-car/#respondTue, 13 Jan 2015 18:08:06 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=1641436Verizon is bringing fancy diagnostics and the Internet to almost any car already on the road.
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Verizon is bringing fancy diagnostics and the Internet to almost any car already on the road.

At the North American International Auto Show, Verizon announcedVerizon Vehicle, an aftermarket connected car service that works with any car model since 1996 (roughly 9,000 models).

Through an onboard diagnostics (OBD) reader that plugs into the car’s diagnostics port and a two-way Bluetooth speaker, Verizon Vehicle tracks problems with the car (engine, tires, etc.) and alerts the driver through the companion mobile app or email. It also provides roadside assistance, emergency help, a mechanic’s hotline, and more with location accuracy by tapping into the smartphone’s GPS.

Drivers can sign up for Verizon Vehicle on a subscription basis and use it regardless of their smartphone’s mobile carrier.

Verizon Vehicle is now available for preorder before it starts shipping on April 10. It will cost $15 per month (including hardware) for the first car, and $13 for each additional one. To compare, Automatic’s car adapter that runs diagnostics and connects to the driver’s phone for alerts, costs a flat $100, with no subscription fees.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2015/01/13/verizon-vehicle-can-turn-any-junker-into-a-connected-car/feed/01641436Verizon Vehicle can turn any junker into a connected carGoogle announces its self-driving car is now fully functionalhttp://venturebeat.com/2014/12/22/google-announces-its-self-driving-car-is-now-fully-functional/
http://venturebeat.com/2014/12/22/google-announces-its-self-driving-car-is-now-fully-functional/#respondMon, 22 Dec 2014 17:24:21 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=1630048This is the first fully functional self-driving car Google has built from the ground up.
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Google today announced it has completed the first build of its self-driving vehicle prototype. This is the first fully functional self-driving car from the company.

It’s one thing to modify an existing car to give it self-driving capabilities. It’s another thing to build a self-driving car from the ground up.

The first fully functional prototype can be seen in the image above. For the sake of comparison, here is the mockup unveiled in May:

Notice that the prototype above didn’t even have real headlights. Google first unveiled its self-driving vehicle in May, which notably did not include a steering wheel, pedals, mirrors, and other components drivers normally use to navigate cars.

Over the past seven months, the company has put together many prototypes, each designed to test different systems of a self-driving car. This includes typical car systems like steering and braking as well as the self-driving parts like the computer and sensors. “We’ve now put all those systems together in this fully functional vehicle — our first complete prototype for fully autonomous driving,” Google said.

In August, the company agreed to include temporary steering wheel and pedal systems when testing autonomous cars, in response to new California DMV rules. In today’s announcement, Google noted as much: “Our safety drivers will continue to oversee the vehicle for a while longer, using temporary manual controls as needed while we continue to test and learn.”

The Google Self-Driving Car team rightly calls this latest iteration “the best holiday gift we could’ve imagined.” It must be very rewarding to get the first working prototype ready right before the end-of-year break.

Google says it plans to spend the holidays trying out the latest prototype around its test track. It hopes to bring it to the streets of Northern California sometime in 2015. As for what comes after that, there is still a long road ahead.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2014/12/22/google-announces-its-self-driving-car-is-now-fully-functional/feed/01630048Google announces its self-driving car is now fully functionalGerman court lifts nationwide Uber banhttp://venturebeat.com/2014/09/16/german-court-lift-nationwide-uber-ban/
http://venturebeat.com/2014/09/16/german-court-lift-nationwide-uber-ban/#respondTue, 16 Sep 2014 13:57:24 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=1553654Today the Frankfurt regional court in Germany reversed a temporary injunction against Uber, permitting the car service startup to once again operate its UberPop ridesharing service in the region.
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Updated 9:42 a.m. PT with a statement from Uber.

Today the Frankfurt regional court in Germany reversed a temporary injunction against Uber, permitting the car service startup to once again operate its UberPop ridesharing service in the region.

The ban, enacted on August 25, never actually stopped Uber from operating in Germany. According to numerousreports, Uber risked hefty fines and continued operating despite the temporary nationwide ban.

As VentureBeat’s Ruth Reader previously detailed, “Uber has had a rough summer in Europe. In June, taxi drivers in Berlin, London, Madrid, and Paris held protests against the taxi hailing app, calling Uber’s price hiking and slashing practices unfair to the general taxi market.”

Later, Uber provided VentureBeat with the following statement:

We welcome today’s decision by the German court to lift the injunction placed on UberPOP by the incumbents, Taxi Deutschland. A recent ride-sharing poll indicated that 70% of Germans want to be able to share their cars, so this is a real step in the right direction for the Uber Generation. UberPOP is revolutionising transport in cities and beyond by helping to create smarter cities with more transport choices. Smart cities of the future are better connected with cheaper, safer and more environmentally-friendly transport options.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2014/09/16/german-court-lift-nationwide-uber-ban/feed/01553654German court lifts nationwide Uber banTrueCar gears up to save car buyers thousands of dollars at the dealerhttp://venturebeat.com/2013/12/12/truecar-gears-up-to-save-car-buyers-thousands-of-dollars-at-the-dealer/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/12/12/truecar-gears-up-to-save-car-buyers-thousands-of-dollars-at-the-dealer/#commentsThu, 12 Dec 2013 19:57:57 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=871735TrueCar has raised $30 million to make the process a little less stressful. The company claims to have "changed car buying forever" with its site that generates price estimates for buyers, so they go into the dealer knowing how much to pay.
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Buying a car is a minefield of potential mistakes — and anxiety over making them.

TrueCar has raised $30 million to make the process a little less stressful. The company claims to have “changed car buying forever” with its site that generates price estimates for buyers, so they go into the dealer knowing how much to pay.

TrueCar analyzes factory invoice prices, average price paid, and the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) to create a TrueCar price estimate. Buyers can then take a “guaranteed savings certificate” into a TrueCar certified dealer so they don’t have to deal with negotiations and pressure-infused sales tactics.

The company said its members save an average of $3,046 off the MSRP when they buy from a participating dealer. It currently works with 7,000 new car franchises and independent dealers across the country and has facilitated 1 million sales since it was founded in 2005. Nearly 400,000 of those sales happened this year.

CEO Scott Painter is a serial entrepreneur who has founded 37 companies. He previously served as CEO of CarsDirect.com, which was founded in 1998. TrueCar raised $200 million in debt and equity financing in 2011 to expand its offerings, build out the data analytics tech, and fund acquisitions.

Painter realized he would have to change tactics if he wanted TrueCar to survive.

Now instead of promoting the lowest price, TrueCar shows a “fair price,” and dealers pay $299 for every customer lead that results in a sale.

Vulcan Capital, billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s firm, led this round. TrueCar is based in Santa Monica, Calif.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/12/12/truecar-gears-up-to-save-car-buyers-thousands-of-dollars-at-the-dealer/feed/2871735TrueCar gears up to save car buyers thousands of dollars at the dealerUber helping 100K drivers buy cars to get more Ubers on the roadhttp://venturebeat.com/2013/11/25/uber-helping-100k-drivers-buy-cars-to-get-more-ubers-on-the-road/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/11/25/uber-helping-100k-drivers-buy-cars-to-get-more-ubers-on-the-road/#respondMon, 25 Nov 2013 18:53:23 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=865075Growing pains be gone. Uber is partnering with GM, Toyota, and financial institutions to offer 100,000 drivers reduced monthly car payments and get more Uber drivers on the road.
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CEO Travis Kalanick said in a blog post that Uber is experiencing increased demand in existing markets, as well as rapidly entering new ones. Its global growth is more than 20% per month in each of the last two months and many cities are generating more than $100 million a year.

“This kind of expansion means hundreds of thousands more cars must come onto the Uber system,” he wrote. “Uber partner-drivers have a robust, reliable cash flow through the Uber platform – every fully utilized car on the Uber system grosses over $100,000/year. That kind of cash flow lowers the risk of financing drivers and means better access to cheaper credit than otherwise available on the open market.”

Uber started out as an on-demand service for black town cars and has taken the cab industry by storm. Users can now hail actual taxis, black cars, lower cost UberX drivers in regular cars, or SUVs in the app. The company’s success inspired a wave of startups such as Lyft, Sidecar, Instacab, and Hailo looking to improve the experience of getting from point A to point B in urban areas.

The success of these companies is predicated on the availability of cars. The whole point is on-demand convenience, and not having enough cars on the roads is a fast way to lose customers and curb growth.

Uber raised a whopping $285 million in August 2013 to fuel its international expansion and is now in 60 cities around the world. As mentioned above, Uber is also experiencing growth in existing markets — Kalanick said the San Francisco business is growing at a “healthy double-digit month-over-month, clip.”

But this kind of growth can come at a price. Users began complaining that the driver acceptance times were getting longer, surge pricing was more frequent, and the service was poorer.

Kalanick responded by saying that there are “significantly complex technology and business model fixes to bring the Uber thunder.”

“This means that we have to continue to get massive amounts of drivers on board as quickly as possible,” he wrote. “Supply for experienced drivers in the city is dwindling, and that means introducing tens of thousands of new people into the commercial driving industry.”

Helping people buy cars is a smart way to get more UberX drivers. Uber drivers can make good money and by lowering the upfront cost of owning a car, Kalanick creates a larger pool of drivers to draw from.

“This program is the first in a series of steps that will help Uber scale in existing and new cities,” he said. “By streamlining capital investments for existing and would-be drivers, this program also brings the Uber opportunity of turnkey entrepreneurship within reach to even more drivers across the country.”

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/11/25/uber-helping-100k-drivers-buy-cars-to-get-more-ubers-on-the-road/feed/0865075Uber helping 100K drivers buy cars to get more Ubers on the roadMetroMile expands its mission to get cheaper insurance rates for those who drive lesshttp://venturebeat.com/2013/11/19/metromile-expands-its-mission-to-get-cheaper-insurance-rates-for-those-who-drive-less/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/11/19/metromile-expands-its-mission-to-get-cheaper-insurance-rates-for-those-who-drive-less/#respondTue, 19 Nov 2013 18:29:22 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=862330People who don't take their car out very often will save money, as MetroMile's insurance prices on a per mile basis.
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MetroMile believes that people who drive less should be rewarded with cheaper car insurance.

The Bay Area-based team developed a device called the Metronome, which can be plugged into a car to monitor how you drive. People who don’t take their car out very often will save money, as MetroMile also offers insurance, which prices on a per mile basis.

Above: The Metronome device

The company announced today that it has expanded from Oregon into Washington State. It has also introduced a mobile app, which drivers can use to track their habits. The app will also notify you when a potential problem arises, so you can go to the mechanic long before your car breaks down on the highway, or you see smoke billowing from its engine.

“The app will give you insights into the cost of insurance, and the health of your car,” said cofounder and chairman David Friedberg by phone.

According to the founders, the service is designed for people who live in cities like Seattle and Portland, and drive sporadically. Metronome customers generally pay between 2 cents and 6 cents per mile, and $15 to $40 as a monthly base rate.

[Full disclosure: Zubie chief executive Tim Kelly is also the father of VentureBeat reporter Meghan Kelly.]

MetroMile makes money with its insurance product, and sales of the Metronome device. However, the first 10,000 people who sign up from today will receive a Metronome free of charge.

According to Friedberg, MetroMile’s solution is sustainable as it does not bear the brunt of the risk. The company has partnered up with the National General Insurance Company, which provides financial backing and an insurance license in each state.

Friedberg recently sold his company The Climate Corporation to Monsanto for a massive $930 million. Prior to that, he was a founding member of Google’s corporate development team. MetroMile’s chief executive, Steve Pretre, has years of experience working on consumer “big data” applications, and CTO Dan Preston sold his previous company AisleBuyer to Intuit.

In future, Pretre and Preston hinted that you’ll gain insight into traffic in real time via the app. The startup also plans to launch in cities around the country, and potentially make a new source of revenue by offering consumers cheaper car repairs.

The founders are also passionate about the company’s eco-friendly mission. MetroMile can provide drivers with data about the emissions and pollution they are creating from those miles. This may prompt people to drive less, and walk or take public transportation.

Metromile has raised $14 million from international venture firms, including Index Ventures and NEA.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/11/19/metromile-expands-its-mission-to-get-cheaper-insurance-rates-for-those-who-drive-less/feed/0862330MetroMile expands its mission to get cheaper insurance rates for those who drive lessTesla’s record growth has it struggling with a serious production bottleneckhttp://venturebeat.com/2013/11/05/teslas-record-growth-has-it-struggling-with-a-serious-production-bottleneck/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/11/05/teslas-record-growth-has-it-struggling-with-a-serious-production-bottleneck/#respondWed, 06 Nov 2013 00:16:34 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=855821Teaser: A lithium-ion cell production "giga-factory" could be in the works.
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Oh Tesla, how you toy with our emotions.

Tesla achieved record levels of Model S production, deliveries, and vehicle gross margins this quarter. Chairman and CEO Elon Musk said there is a huge untapped demand in the U.S., demand is growing in Europe, and Tesla will begin taking reservations in China’s massive market this quarter.

But demand isn’t Tesla’s challenge — it is scaling production to meet demand.

“We are production constrained, not demand constrained,” Musk said during an earnings call. “We are working hard to address the production constraints and improve, but the thing people still don’t quite get is we are different in a fundamental way from other car companies. It doesn’t make sense to do things to amplify demand if can’t meet that demand with production. We are spending our time to figure out how to ramp up production faster and maintain good quality.”

There are over 19,000 Model S cars on the roads who have collectively driven their cars more than 100 million miles.

Tesla is currently producing 550 cars per week and aims to produce 20,000 cars a year. However it won’t be able to up this volume unless the company makes some serious investments in infrastructure and faculties. The critical constraint for the production of these vehicles is lithium-ion battery cells. Panasonic is Tesla’s current partner for producing electric-car batteries, but Reuters reported that Tesla is in discussions with Samsung SDI to be a second battery supplier.

Musk also hinted at constructing a lithium-ion cell production “giga-factory.”

“I acknowledge the fact that one needs to be built,” he said. “It will be a very green factory, with a lot of solar power, and zero emissions. We have to think about what is the right way to do version one. It will be a really giant facility, comparable to all lithium ion production in the world in one factory.”

In addition to pushing expansion in Europe and Asia, Tesla is also working to build out its service operations and expanded the number of retail and service locations by 20% last quarter, surpassing 100. Musk said he plans to drive a Tesla on a cross-country road trip with his family during the Spring of next year, to show that charging via Supercharger networks is not an obstacle.

“We plan to cover all across North America by the end of next year, and you can expect to travel anywhere in Europe and many parts of Eastern Europe towards the end of next year,” Musk said.

Expanding the network of Superchargers is critical to supporting Tesla’s growth. Cars are about mobility and freedom, and drivers don’t want to be constrained. Price is another important factor, and Musk said the goal is to get the vehicles down to $35,000 and improve leasing options.

“When you consider the savings from gasoline, that makes it pretty competitive,” he said.

Tesla recently achieved a perfect 5-star safety rating from the National Highway Safety Administration and earlier this year outscored every other car in Consumer Report’s annual ratings.

All of these accolades and achievements are impressive, and underscore that the car is a high-quality product that can offer a lot of value to consumers. But from the time of Henry Ford, a key attribute of the auto industry is scale — the ability to consistently build thousands of cars a day.

Tesla seems to be caught in something of a bottleneck, and despite its growth in revenue, margins, cash balance, demand, delivery, production, service stations, and geographical markets, shareholders and analysts are still concerned.

The stock when down by 11% to $157.50 in after-hours trading, which had people twittering like mad. But let’s also keep in mind that Tesla’s stock is still up by 456.2% from the same period last year.

“We have to make steady, modest improvements in available cash while growing the business at a rapid percentage rate, relative to rest of industry,” Musk said.

R&D expenses will increase by the fourth quarter, as Tesla continues development of the Model X and gets the juices flowing for the third generation vehicle. People don’t seem to know what to make of Tesla. Is its stock overpriced or underpriced? What will it be worth a year from now? How long will it take Tesla to get its production capabilities to where they need to be for real high-flying growth?

Musk made one thing clear: “A huge capital draining thing will have to happen so there are no production constraints.”

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/11/05/teslas-record-growth-has-it-struggling-with-a-serious-production-bottleneck/feed/0855821Tesla’s record growth has it struggling with a serious production bottleneckOpenbay helps you fix your car without getting stressed or swindledhttp://venturebeat.com/2013/10/28/openbay-helps-you-fix-your-car-without-getting-stressed-or-swindled/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/10/28/openbay-helps-you-fix-your-car-without-getting-stressed-or-swindled/#respondMon, 28 Oct 2013 17:54:05 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=848173Openbay's goal is to improve the process of getting your car repaired and maintained. The Cambridge-startup launched its service today and revealed seed funding from Google Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz's a16z seed fund, Boston Seed Capital, and Stage 1 Ventures.
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Cars are great for trips to the grocery store or getting out of town on a weekend getaway, but they can also be complicated, mysterious, frustrating, time-consuming, and expensive.

Openbay’s goal is to improve the process of getting your car repaired and maintained.

When you require vehicular service, you enter your need or problem into Openbay’s search and the site will ask you some questions about what you are looking for and your car. Openbay also has an iOS app.

The request gets submitted to the system and Openbay finds a match from its network of local automotive professionals and requesst service on your behalf. As offers come in, you get notified and can compare price, locations, customer ratings, and reviews.

You then choose a provider, book an appointment, get your vehicle serviced, and pay through Openbay.

To me, this process seems a lot more involved than cruising down the street to the auto shop a block away from my house. However I don’t own a car, and acknowledge that others may be more particular when it comes to their beloved wheels.

My mother, for example, drives to a mechanic an hour away from her house because she trusts him and his prices are good. Car repairs are ridden with concerns about getting swindled (with price and quality of service), and people with nice cars may not want to visit any old auto shop.

Furthermore it is a highly fragmented market, which makes searching for providers an arduous process.

Openbay vets and indexes the professionals it works with, and uses competition to get customers a lower price. It also adds the pleasant patina of clean design and an easily navigable interface.

The challenge is building up a marketplace that is strong on both sides Considering the sheer number of auto repair shops around the country, this is time and labor intensive.

Openbay currently has 400 auto service professionals in its database in the Boston metropolitan area, but will have to grow fast before competitors gain a foothold in other markets, and to please investors with its ability to scale.

Openbay also needs to offer a substantially better experience for consumers, if it hopes to lure them away from their current mechanic.

Startups are abounding that take fragmented, offline markets — such as auto repairs — and bundle them nicely together online. This is particularly clear with home services, where you’ve got Handybook, ClubLocal, Homejoy, Exec, Buildzoom, Thumbtack, Porch, Angie’s List and others angling to become the go-to place to find and book cleaning, renovations, etc.

Investors seem to love these types of companies as well and put millions of dollars into them.

There is nothing too innovative or mind-blowing about Openbay, but a simple case of startup using technology to improve a process that’s been a pain for over 100 years.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/10/28/openbay-helps-you-fix-your-car-without-getting-stressed-or-swindled/feed/0848173Openbay helps you fix your car without getting stressed or swindledZoom raises $1.6M to become the ‘Zipcar of India’http://venturebeat.com/2013/10/02/zoom-raises-1-6m-to-become-the-zipcar-of-india/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/10/02/zoom-raises-1-6m-to-become-the-zipcar-of-india/#respondWed, 02 Oct 2013 23:20:53 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=826296Zoom offers a neighborhood-based, membership-only car rental service by hour or by day.
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Indian roads are completely insane, and that’s putting it lightly.

They are filled with cars, rickshaws, scooters, people, animals, and merchant-stalls, and no one stays between the lines.

For those people brave enough to drive their own vehicles through the chaos, Zoom is there to help.

The company has raised $1.6 million to be the “Zipcar of India.” It offers a neighborhood-based, membership-only car rental service by the hour or by the day.

Cofounder David Beck said that the Indian car rental industry is worth $3 billion and growing fast, but most car rental services are primarily focused on chauffeur market. Meanwhile, car-sharing is flourishing around the world thanks to companies like Zipcar, Uber, Lyft, and China’s eHI.

Zoom’s founders saw an opportunity to bring this model to India.

“Each car-sharing vehicle replaces an average of 15 private vehicles on the road,” Beck said in an e-mail. “That means less traffic and air pollution, while at the same time extending the freedom of car use far down the income ladder. The impact is actually much higher in the developing world, because it’s much easier to persuade people not to buy a car in the first place than it is to convince people to give up car ownership.”

A small percentage of people in India actually own cars. Owning a parking space is expensive, and people rely on public transportation, walking, and taxis to get around. The country is filled with densely populated with urban centers, which Beck said makes it well suited for this type of business.

People can book and pay for cars through a smartphone app, and 24-hour vehicle tracking and a remote engine disabler help provide security. Drivers can also receive navigation and parking help.

Zoom is currently active in Bangalore with a fleet of 52 vehicles. Beck said that the demand for its Zoom cars has grown dramatically and outpaces supply by a wide margin. This financing will help purchase more cars.

New York City-based Empire Angels led this round, with participation from online VC FundersClub and elite angels including Larry Summers and Lady Barbara Judge. It also has partnerships with car manufacturers Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, and Mahindra.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/10/02/zoom-raises-1-6m-to-become-the-zipcar-of-india/feed/0826296Zoom raises $1.6M to become the ‘Zipcar of India’Bootstrapped Telogis raises $93M to bring location-based data to vehicle fleetshttp://venturebeat.com/2013/10/02/bootstrapped-telogis-raises-93m-to-bring-location-based-data-to-vehicle-fleets/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/10/02/bootstrapped-telogis-raises-93m-to-bring-location-based-data-to-vehicle-fleets/#respondWed, 02 Oct 2013 19:48:04 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=825355The company provides software-as-a-service that helps large organizations manage and optimize their vehicle fleets. It has been profitable for years, but doesn't want to miss the "window for accelerating growth."
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Telogis has raised a massive $93 million to help you get your beer in a timely fashion, among other things.

The company provides software-as-a-service that helps large organizations manage and optimize their vehicle fleets. It works companies like beverage distributors, as well as cable and telecom providers, oil & gas and utility companies, and car manufacturers, to gather data about how their fleets are running and figure out how to make them more efficient.

“Businesses that have 10,000 vehicles spend millions a year on gas, and they might have all these trucks sitting out in a yard that aren’t getting used,” said CFO Kyle Messman in an interview with VentureBeat. “When you send a mobile worker to do his job outside the four walls of your business, you might not have any idea how he is doing his job, and that makes it harder to manage.”

Telogis collects location-based data from embedded and installed hardware in vehicles, as well as from mobile devices. It works on over 40 different hardware platforms from 12 different manufactures and collects an impressive array of data

This information is analyzed to seek out inefficiencies and find ways to resolve them. The technology can recommend the fastest routes to get worker to jobs, or show that certain parts of a fleet are being underused. It can also find out which drivers have dangerous driving habits and when a vehicle needs maintenance.

Messman said that this kind of data has multiple benefits. It helps businesses save money on fuel and reduce their carbon footprint. It also helps them make smarter use of the resources they have, so money doesn’t get spent on unnecessary vehicles or employees.

Ultimately, he said these benefits filters into other areas of the business, like customer service.

The mobile workforce presents a lot of operational and logistical challenges. There are a number of startups out there developing mobile apps for service providers who need tools to manage and motivate their teams, such as GroundCntrl and Springshot.

On the fleet management side, LocalMotion helps corporate fleets set up car-sharing programs.

Telogis does both. Messman said most of its clients need sophisticated “holistic” solutions that are enterprise-grade and can integrate with their legacy infrastructure. Most startups, simply, aren’t up to the task.

The company has been around since 2001, before the “mobile” and “data” became two of the hottest areas of technology. The company was bootstrapped and profitable, but over the past four years, GPS, cloud computing, software-as-a-service, and the interest in making data-driven business decisions erupted, and Telogis decided it was time to raise money.

Telogis expects to do generate between $90 and $100 million in revenue this year. Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers led this round, which will be used to grow the sales and marketing teams, as well as prepare Telogis for a potential IPO next year.

“The penetration rates for these types of solutions are still low, “Messman said. “We don’t want to miss the window for accelerating our growth.”

Telogis is based in Orange County, California, with development offices in New Zealand and Austin. It has 400 employees.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/10/02/bootstrapped-telogis-raises-93m-to-bring-location-based-data-to-vehicle-fleets/feed/0825355Bootstrapped Telogis raises $93M to bring location-based data to vehicle fleetsLyft doubles rides per week as founders gear up for international expansionhttp://venturebeat.com/2013/09/09/lyft-doubles-rides-per-week-founders-gear-up-for-international-expansion/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/09/09/lyft-doubles-rides-per-week-founders-gear-up-for-international-expansion/#respondMon, 09 Sep 2013 18:00:06 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=810172Founders of popular ridesharing service Lyft discuss the competitive market and their vision for the company's future.
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SAN FRANCISCO — Lyft’s cofounders John Zimmer and Logan Green are want to redefine how people get where they need to go.

“We want to break this idea of a service relationship between driver and passenger — they are equals,” said Lyft cofounder Logan Green on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2013. “The pink mustache has translated in every market so far. The Lyft driver going down a street creates a mystique around it. People want to know what’s going on, and this creates a viral word-of-mouth effect.”

Lyft is a popular peer-to-peer alternative to taxi cabs where drivers adorn their cars with pink fuzzy mustaches. You order a ride through an iPhone or Android application, and the driver picks you up at your location and squires you to your destination. You will probably fist bump the driver and chat along the way — the company’s tagline is “your friend with a car.”

Zimmer and Green founded Zimride in 2007, a national ridesharing service with a strong presence on college campuses. Lyft was launched in 2012 and quickly took off.

“I’d never experienced this kind of pull from users,” Zimmer said. “In the last three months, we have doubled the number of rides we are doing per week and recently completed the 1 millionth ride. We want to maintain the sense of community while going as fast as possible.”

“The taxi industry has been around for decades and decades, and there is a lot of regulatory crust,” Green said. “When we go into a market, part of what we do is shine a light on these policies. Regulators realize that they have put unfair versions of policies and some regulators are looking at pulling back some of those regulations that aren’t helpful for an industry as a whole.”

The California Public Utility Commission recently came out with a proposed decision that would permit ridesharing startups like Lyft to operate as long as they follow certain regulations. Every market presents a new set of challenges, and there are a number of rivals battling it out for dominance. Lyft competes with Uber, SideCar, Instacab, Hailo, RelayRides, and Flywheel as well as traditional taxis.

Uber started out by providing on-demand black car service. The company has since expanded to also connect passengers with low cost rides through UberX and traditional taxis, and it announced it would launch a ride-sharing platform. It is now valued at $3.5 billion and just closed a whopping $285 million in funding to fuel expansion.

Last week, Uber offered passengers free rides in Lyft’s three recently opened markets.

However, Zimmer and Green said they don’t see Uber as a threat.

“Uber was in San Francisco for two to three years when launched, and we are thriving here,” Zimmer said. “This market will play out with who provides the experience that is the most mass market. What we are doing with community, the peer-to-peer model, and sitting up front is resonating.”

Green and Logan said that they have plans to take Lyft international soon, although they would not share details on when and where. They also have a greater vision for what Lyft can become.

“Eighty percent of seats on roads and highways are empty at all times,” Zimmer said. “This is first page and chapter of what we want to do. We want you to be able to go outside and find an empty seat, and maybe that driver has a friend in common. We want to build an information infrastructure on top of our roads for consumer transportation. That’s something that hasn’t been created yet.”

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/09/09/lyft-doubles-rides-per-week-founders-gear-up-for-international-expansion/feed/0810172Lyft doubles rides per week as founders gear up for international expansionDrivewise.ly raises $1.3M to score your driving with smartphoneshttp://venturebeat.com/2013/08/30/drivewise-ly-raises-1-3m-to-score-your-driving-with-smartphones/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/08/30/drivewise-ly-raises-1-3m-to-score-your-driving-with-smartphones/#respondFri, 30 Aug 2013 21:30:24 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=805889Drivewise.ly has raised $1.3 million for its mobile app that collects data on your driving habits and gives you a score based on your skill.
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Drivewisel.y can tell you how good of a driver you are.

The startup has raised $1.3 million for its mobile app that collects data on your driving habits. Every time you take a trip, Drivewise.ly uses smartphone sensors to learn gather information about speed, distance, acceleration, and so on. The app then assigns you a driving score.

Scores are shareable, so you can show your friends and family if you are a “road maestro” or “nonfaulting driving connoisseur.” The scores can also be taken to insurance companies to negotiate lower rates or find a more appropriate insurance plan. Teenage drivers can use it to prove they don’t speed, while infrequent drivers can demonstrate why they need usage-based insurance.

Drivewise.ly’s site says that up to 30 percent of your vehicle’s fuel economy is determined by your driving style. The app uses the information it collects about your driving habits to offer tips and help you improve your gas mileage. This has the dual benefit of saving money and lowering your carbon footprint.

The quantified self movement is taking off and people are tracking everything from their sleeping pattern to their stress levels. Collecting and understanding this data can yield fresh insights into our behavior and guide us to make improvements. Drivewise.ly applies this principal to road behavior.

Yesterday, a similar startup, Zendrive, announced that it has raised $1.5 million. Zendrive also gathers data about your driving habits, but instead of offering a score, it gamifies driving by offering real-world rewards (like a discount at a local eatery) for making good decisions.

Both apps are built on the idea that if people are more aware of their driving habits, they will become better drivers.

An SEC filing lists Gigi Levy as an investor. Drivewise.ly is based in Sunnyvale, California.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/08/30/drivewise-ly-raises-1-3m-to-score-your-driving-with-smartphones/feed/0805889Drivewise.ly raises $1.3M to score your driving with smartphonesProposed rules will keep Lyft, Uber, Sidecar on the streets in Californiahttp://venturebeat.com/2013/07/30/proposed-rules-will-keep-lyft-uber-sidecar-on-the-streets-in-california/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/07/30/proposed-rules-will-keep-lyft-uber-sidecar-on-the-streets-in-california/#respondTue, 30 Jul 2013 23:52:19 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=786935California regulators came out with a proposed decision for ridesharing startups today, with a lightweight set of regulations to ensure safety.
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It’s a good day for ridesharing startups.

The California Public Utilities Commission came out with a proposed decision for ridesharing startups today that allows them to remain in operation. The commission created a new category called “Transportation Network Company” or TNCs to refer to companies like Lyft, SideCar, InstantCab, and UberX that connect passengers with drivers using their personal vehicles via the Internet.

Now these companies must be licensed by the CPUC, require criminal background checks for each driver, establish a driver training program, implement a zero-tolerance policy on drugs and alcohol, and adopt a more stringent insurance policy than the CPUC requires for limousines.

“The Commission is aware that TNCs are a nascent industry,” the proposal said. “Innovation does not, however, alter the Commission’s obligation to protect public safety, especially where, as here, the core service being provided — passenger transportation on public roadways — has potential safety impacts for third parties and property.”

This proposal is a significant victory for these startups. It means that they will be permitted to operate in San Francisco, as long as they abide by the new regulations, assuming the proposal is adopted that is. CPUC information officer Andrew Kotch told VentureBeat that the proposal will be up for public review for 30 days and will be placed on a commission meeting agenda, for five commissions to accept, reject, or propose alternate decisions.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/07/30/proposed-rules-will-keep-lyft-uber-sidecar-on-the-streets-in-california/feed/0786935Proposed rules will keep Lyft, Uber, Sidecar on the streets in CaliforniaUber adds fare-splitting feature so you don’t get stuck with the billhttp://venturebeat.com/2013/07/15/uber-adds-fare-splitting-feature-so-you-dont-get-stuck-with-the-bill/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/07/15/uber-adds-fare-splitting-feature-so-you-dont-get-stuck-with-the-bill/#respondMon, 15 Jul 2013 21:36:15 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=779479Threeways in an Uber car are now really easy. Threeway fare-splits, that is.
]]>Threeways in an Uber car are now really easy. Threeway fare-splits, that is.

Uber released a new feature today that makes it dead-simple to split ride fares other people. All you have to do is tap the split fare button and add people to split with. They receive a notification to accept the charge, and once confirmed, Uber will take care of the math. This nifty little feature makes Uber’s service more convenient and affordable, and it gives it a greater edge in an increasingly congested and competitive market.

The fare splitting feature is not only useful and convenient for passengers, but also makes Uber more affordable. Since one person hails the car, that person generally ends up paying, and figuring out how to split a fare can be awkward. Do you just quietly pay for the whole ride? Do you ask your fellow riders to pay you back? Do you ask someone else to get the ride home or buy you a drink in exchange? This nifty little feature eliminates the need for those questions.

Uber is an on-demand transportation app that seeks to be “everyone’s private driver.” It started out offering a black car service and emphasized luxury as a cornerstone of its brand. Uber’s black cars are more expensive than taxis, and it often attracts customers with comfortable amounts of disposable income who are willing to pay double the price for a higher-end experience.

The company has since added in SUV, Taxi, and UberX (a cheaper midrange car option) to make the service more affordable. Prices on the uberX service with eco-friendly cars are about 10 percent lower than what taxis charge. CEO Travis Kalanick also announced recently that he intended to roll out ride-sharing on the existing Uber platform, posing a direct threat to companies like Lyft and SideCar that operate on a community ride-sharing model. Uber is currently in 35 markets, but Lyft is a popular alternative in six of them. At first, Uber refrained from ride-sharing due to regulatory risk, but “ambiguity” encouraged him to implement ride-sharing as part of the app in “any market where the regulators have given tacit approval.”

“This course of nonaction resulted in massive regulatory ambiguity leading to one-sided competition which Uber has not engaged in to its own disadvantage,” Kalanick said in a white paper. “In the face of this challenge, Uber could have chosen to do nothing. We could have chosen to use regulation to thwart our competitors. Instead, we chose the path that reflects our company’s core: We chose to compete.”

Kalanick is known for being fearsomely competitive and adopting aggressive business strategies. Shortly after competitor Lyft announced raising $60 million in new funding, rumors emerged that Uber is amassing hundreds of millions of dollars in a war chest to accelerate its international growth and compete with taxi companies and ride-sharing startups alike.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/07/15/uber-adds-fare-splitting-feature-so-you-dont-get-stuck-with-the-bill/feed/0779479Uber adds fare-splitting feature so you don’t get stuck with the billTred rolls out at-home test drive service for car buyershttp://venturebeat.com/2013/06/19/tred-rolls-out-at-home-test-drive-service-for-car-buyers/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/06/19/tred-rolls-out-at-home-test-drive-service-for-car-buyers/#commentsWed, 19 Jun 2013 17:40:07 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=761374Tred launched its home-delivery test drive service in the Greater Seattle area today for people looking to buy a new car and closed a $1.8 million in seed funding.
]]>Tred is applying the idea of “trying on at home” to cars.

The startup launched its home-delivery test drive service in the Greater Seattle area today for people looking to buy a new car and closed $1.8 million in seed funding.

Buying a car is a big decision. Autotrader.com and Polk Automotive did a study in 2011 that found that new vehicle buyers spend 11.5 hours shopping for cars online and 7.5 hours shopping for cars offline. You have to research cars that are right for you, visit a dealership, take the car for a test drive, and negotiate price. This process is time-consuming and can be stressful, particularly with car salesmen lurking about.

Potential buyers can schedule test drives for cars that interest them wherever and whenever is convenient. Tred has partnered with local auto dealers and brings those cars to consumers so they can experience it on their own turf. If you are deciding between two vehicles, you can schedule delivery of both at the same time and make side-by-side comparisons even when they come from different manufacturers. People can also do experiments like arranging bicycles in the trunk, installing car seats, loading groceries, or determining which car fits best in the garage and whether a car really suits their lifestyle.

“Tred cuts the time in a dealership substantially and eliminates all the pressures of making car buying decisions on the showroom floor by bringing cars directly to where busy families and professionals are comfortable — on their own terms, during their schedule, and at the best possible price,” said cofounder and chief executive officer Grant Feek to VentureBeat. “So for the busy family, there’s no more worrying about the impatient toddler who doesn’t want to sit through pricing negotiations or long periods of time finalizing paperwork.”

After the test drive appointment, Tred will send a price report and dealer contact information. The company said it works with dealers to offer “rock-bottom, no haggle” prices. It is able to do this because dealers appreciate the ability to focus on serious shoppers who are more likely to buy. When people are ready to buy, they bring their price certificate into dealership (within two weeks) for redemption. The price is predetermined and significantly cuts down on time in the dealership since you only go once. You know exactly what you want and exactly what to pay. You are under no obligation to buy.

Another benefit of this model is objectivity. Tred’s auto experts are not loyal to a particular brand and can present the facts impartially. They do not make sales commissions, so there are no ulterior motives or pushiness, either.

“There have been other Internet innovators who have entered this space and tried to work with local dealerships, but Tred is taking a different approach,” Feek said. “First, Tred is for dealers by dealers, and we don’t make a business decision without first consulting them and considering their ROI. Secondly, we’re committed to helping dealers participate in the customer-service revolution that is sweeping the rest of the retail economy. And we believe that doing so is the single best way to capture Gen Y and busy families and professionals.”

Feek is a Seattle native who used to work in real estate development and finance. He founded Tred in 2012 and participated in TechStars Seattle. Chairman and CEO of General Motors Rick Wagoner, Chris Sacca’s Lowercase Capital, David Cohen, Maveron Capital, Fraser McCombs Capital, Great Oaks Venture Capital, and Founder’s Co-Op participated in the financing. It will support the company as it expands into new cities.

Feek drives an Outback.

Photo Credit: Tred

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/06/19/tred-rolls-out-at-home-test-drive-service-for-car-buyers/feed/1761374Tred rolls out at-home test drive service for car buyersAnki zooms autonomous robotic racing cars out of stealth mode at WWDChttp://venturebeat.com/2013/06/10/anki-zooms-autonomous-robotic-racing-cars-out-of-stealth-mode-at-wwdc/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/06/10/anki-zooms-autonomous-robotic-racing-cars-out-of-stealth-mode-at-wwdc/#respondMon, 10 Jun 2013 19:21:24 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=754503Anki is an artificial intelligence and robotics startup that emerged out of stealth mode today and unveiled its first product -- a car racing game called Anki Drive. It also revealed $50 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz, Index Ventures, and Two Sigma.
]]>Robotic, weapon-shooting cars kicked off the keynote at Apple’s WWDC today.

Anki is an artificial intelligence and robotics startup that emerged out of stealth mode today and unveiled its first product — a car racing game called Anki Drive. It also revealed $50 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz, Index Ventures, and Two Sigma.

Anki’s CEO Boris Sofman showed off three self-driving cars on stage that steered themselves around a track. He said the cars can sense their surroundings and adjust their speeds based on the same processes our brains perform while driving. The software makes thousands of decisions every second.

Anki’s ultimate goal is to bring artificial intelligence into people’s everyday lives. It combines decades of engineering and scientific research with robotics, AI, hardware, and software, and applies it to consumer products. Andreessen said this type of technology is normally funneled into expensive industrial and military projects. Anki makes this advanced technology accessible to everyone by building products you can use in your home.

The first manifestation of the platform is Anki Drive.

“We are bringing video games to life on the floor of your livingroom,” Sofman said during his presentation.

Anki Drive is a real-time car racing game that puts real cars against players and each other. Each car is equipped with sensors and intelligent software and can be controlled through iPhones or iPads.

“Playing Anki Drive, their first product, is a delight for people of any age — it’s amazing to see fully autonomous robot cars in high-speed races, making thousands of independent decisions per second, maneuvering and competing, in ways never before possible,” Andreessen said in a blog post.

The product will be available in iOS this fall and cost just $200. As the price of computing hardware continues to drop, huge opportunities arise to develop products of this caliber at mass market price points. Sofman said Drive is the first step toward the future of robotics and artificial intelligence that will transform the entertainment experience, as well as other industries, and create entirely new product categories.

Sofman and cofounder Mark Palatucci and Hanns Tappeiner met while earning M.S. and PhDs at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. They dreamed up Anki five years ago sitting around a kitchen table, and “countless algorithms (admittedly, many failed attempts), late nights, napkin sketches, and prototypes later, we realized that we just might be onto something,” Sofman said in a blog post.

The company has operated in stealth mode since Februrary 2012 and Andreessen said that keeping quiet about it for 16 months “has been one of the hardest things I have had to do since we started our firm!”

I think rapper Macklemore described it best in his hit song Thrift Store — this is f**ing awesome.

Anki is based in San Francisco.

Check out this video:

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/06/10/anki-zooms-autonomous-robotic-racing-cars-out-of-stealth-mode-at-wwdc/feed/0754503Anki zooms autonomous robotic racing cars out of stealth mode at WWDCLyft and SideCar, beware! Uber storms the arena of ride-sharinghttp://venturebeat.com/2013/04/12/lyft-and-sidecar-beware-uber-storms-the-arena-of-ride-sharing/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/04/12/lyft-and-sidecar-beware-uber-storms-the-arena-of-ride-sharing/#respondFri, 12 Apr 2013 19:22:40 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=715505Uber founder Travis Kalanick declared his intention to roll out ride-sharing on the existing platform, posing a direct threat to companies like Lyft and SideCar that operate on a community ride-sharing model.
]]>Uber founder Travis Kalanick takes the gladiator approach to entrepreneurship. Today in a blog post, he declared his intention to roll out ride-sharing on the existing Uber platform, posing a direct threat to companies like Lyft and SideCar that operate on a community ride-sharing model.

With this “Policy White Paper 1.0,” Kalanick stated that while at first Uber refrained from participating in ride-sharing due to regulatory risk, the “ambiguity” has encouraged him to implement ride-sharing as part of the app in “any market where the regulators have given tacit approval.”

“In most cities across the country, regulators have chosen not to enforce against nonlicensed transportation providers using ride-sharing apps,” he said. “This course of nonaction resulted in massive regulatory ambiguity leading to one-sided competition which Uber has not engaged in to its own disadvantage. … In the face of this challenge, Uber could have chosen to do nothing. We could have chosen to use regulation to thwart our competitors. Instead, we chose the path that reflects our company’s core: We chose to compete.”

Uber will now offer a ride-sharing feature in markets where a competitor has operated for 30 days without direct enforcement against them. There will be safety and insurance safeguards that “go beyond what local regulatory bodies have in place for commercial transportation,” including a $2 million insurance policy and extensive background checks on the drivers.

Kalanick said that while ride-sharing apps operate without traditional commercial insurance or licensing, Uber has taken most of the legal heat despite that its approach involves buying cars as well as having proper insurance and licenses. After watching regulators in New York, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, and California choose not to enforce “nonlicensed operators” such as Lyft, Kalanick will no longer sit on the sidelines.

He founded Uber because he was frustrated with the existing transportation options in cities and wanted to provide a superior alternative. Ride-sharing systems like Lyft and SideCar hold a similar goal: to offer on-demand, convenient, affordable rides to city residents.

Uber first started with its on-demand black car service and has since added SUV, Taxi, and UBERx, a cheaper midrange car option. Since the beginning, Uber has faced significant opposition from municipal regulators and transportation agencies (not to mention taxi cab companies) and has fought battles around the country to remain operational. Kalanick is known for never shying from a battle. He has consistently fought for his company’s right to exist, while at the same time growing Uber into an international company and adding new modes of transportation.

“Competition is fun,” he said. “If there isn’t competition, what is the freaking purpose? Let’s have some fun and make the world a better place at the same time. You have to be fighter, you have to be a warrior, and if not, you should go do something that is a little less disruptive. I’m bringing it, I’m not sleeping. If the other guy is sleeping, I am going to kick his ass.”

Ride-sharing is starting to resemble a melee, with iPhones and pink mustaches as weapons. The question on my mind is that faced with legal opposition from regulators: Will these competitors band together? Competition may be good, but they all have the same enemies and the same battles to fight. Let the games begin.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/04/12/lyft-and-sidecar-beware-uber-storms-the-arena-of-ride-sharing/feed/0715505Lyft and SideCar, beware! Uber storms the arena of ride-sharingA sneak peek at Subaru’s first-ever hybridhttp://venturebeat.com/2013/03/28/a-sneak-peek-at-subarus-first-ever-hybrid/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/03/28/a-sneak-peek-at-subarus-first-ever-hybrid/#respondThu, 28 Mar 2013 16:39:33 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=707168The hybrid version of the Boxer engine weighs around 300 pounds more than the standard gas-only version. In low-speed situations, the car can run on electricity, and it can start on electricity.
]]>

Subaru unveiled its first-ever hybrid at the New York Auto Show today.

“What?” you ask incredulously. “They’re just now doing a hybrid?”

Yeah, well, they were early to the game on supporting LGBT equality. Ya win some, ya lose some.

The automobile taking up the spotlight today is the XV Crosstrek Hybrid. It’s pretty much the regular XV Crosstrek but with a heavier engine that sometimes won’t use gas.

Designed with the foundation of Subaru engineering, the all-new 2014 XV Crosstrek Hybrid offers the control and balance drivers expect from a Subaru vehicle. And as the most fuel-efficient AWD hybrid crossover in America, it also offers an earth-conscious attitude.

The SUBARU BOXER engine provides a low center of gravity for agile handling. Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive flows power to all wheels for a constant grip on the road while still giving you great fuel efficiency. Best of all, it’s an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle making it the lowest-emissions AWD hybrid crossover in America.

The hybrid version of the Boxer engine weighs around 300 pounds more than the standard gas-only version. In low-speed situations, the car can run on electricity, and it can start on electricity. The gas engine is used for the extra get-up-and-go.

The company also showed off a new WRX concept car at the show:

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/03/28/a-sneak-peek-at-subarus-first-ever-hybrid/feed/0707168A sneak peek at Subaru’s first-ever hybridJoyride’s voice-activated mobile apps ‘turn cars into starships’http://venturebeat.com/2013/03/25/joyrides-voice-activated-mobile-apps-turn-cars-into-starships/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/03/25/joyrides-voice-activated-mobile-apps-turn-cars-into-starships/#respondMon, 25 Mar 2013 13:00:38 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=703896Joyride is building a voice-activated mobile applications that turns the millions of hours Americans spend driving into a safe, entertaining experience.
]]>Americans spend 45 billion hours a year in the car, which is more than four times as much time as they spend on Facebook.

Joyride seeks to make this time more fun with voice-activated mobile applications that provide a safe and social way to spend the driving hours. The startup is launching publicly today after presenting off-the-record at the Founder Den Demo Day last week and announcing $1 million in funding.

Founders Jeff Chen and James Zhang previously developed Skyvi, a voice-activated media app which is like Siri for Android. They applied this expertise to creating the VoiceUI Architecture platform that forms Joyride’s foundation.

“We are not talking about a simple ‘navigate’ or text command,” said Chen during an interview at VentureBeat. “We are talking about a full-blown rich mobile application that is 100 percent hands-free and brings all the social fun pieces of the Internet to you while you are driving.”

The first application built on this voice platform is a trivia game. Your phone asks you questions about historical figures, landmarks, or events (and more) and provides clues. When you have a guess, you say it out loud, and you score points for being right. The game is what Chen describes as “fake synchronous.” You are neither playing against other people in real time or against a machine. Instead, you are matched against other players whose activity was already saved in the system. It gives the illusion of social connectivity — without the behind-the-wheel dangers.

“Internet penetration of the car is a big macro trend, and Internet usage in the car is inevitable,” Chen said. “Voice tech is finally getting really good, and with cloud services and connected devices, we are really seeing voice recognition where it can be great.

“The third factor here is social. People are super-bored while they are driving, and we think people want a social experience that is a safer alternative to mobile apps.”

The technology’s design has three criteria, according to CTO James Zhang. The first is a “reusable voice user interface” (VUI) that maintains data about certain commands. The second is how it handles arbitrary user input, or knowing what interactions apply to the app and which don’t. Third is the “equal coexistence” of voice and gesture user interface, all connected to the driver through the smartphone’s connectivity and an AUX jack or Bluetooth.

Down the road, Joyride plans to build a diverse library of applications on top of this platform that provide engaging in-car experiences.

“The most important thing is that people are suffering in their cars,” Chen said. “They are these tiny little boxes with tiny little windows and we are going to turn cars into starships and make it fun and interesting and even safer. This is just the beginning. It is a cool, untapped area that has a lot of potential.”

Investors see potential here, too. Freestyle Capital and the Cowboy Venture Fund, as well as angel investor Seth Goldstein, provided seed financing to to build out the engineering team and accelerate entrance into the market.

Photo Credit: Joyride

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/03/25/joyrides-voice-activated-mobile-apps-turn-cars-into-starships/feed/0703896Joyride’s voice-activated mobile apps ‘turn cars into starships’First glimmers of Avis-Zipcar acquisition appear at NYC airportshttp://venturebeat.com/2013/03/20/first-glimmers-of-avis-zipcar-acquisition-appear-at-nyc-airports/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/03/20/first-glimmers-of-avis-zipcar-acquisition-appear-at-nyc-airports/#respondWed, 20 Mar 2013 17:01:28 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=702847Just days after the Avis officially acquires Zipcar, a small number of zipcars pop up at NYC regional airports.
]]>Avis wasted no time putting its new fleet of Zipcars to use.

“The availability of Zipcars at airports will provide increased options for members who may not need a full day rental car, or for those who need to travel somewhere not easily accessible by public transit,” Zipcar president Mark Norman said. “We believe this is the first in many new offerings that will enhance the value of Zipcar membership that we can provide thanks to the support of the Avis Budget Group.”

This small expansion to airports is just the beginning. Norman said Zipcars will be available in additional airport locations over the course of the year, marking a departure from Zipcar’s traditional placement in cities and college campuses.

“By combining with Zipcar, we will significantly increase our growth potential, both in the United States and internationally, and will position our company to better serve a greater variety of consumer and commercial transportation needs,” Avis Budget Group CEO Ronald Nelson said in a statement. “We see car sharing as highly complementary to traditional car rental, with rapid growth potential and representing a scalable opportunity for us as a combined company.”

Zipcar now operates as a subsidiary of Avis. Avis said it expects “to generate $50 to $70 million in annual synergies” in relation to the deal.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/03/20/first-glimmers-of-avis-zipcar-acquisition-appear-at-nyc-airports/feed/0702847First glimmers of Avis-Zipcar acquisition appear at NYC airportsSplitsecnd calls for help when you can’t in a car crashhttp://venturebeat.com/2013/02/26/splitsecnd-calls-for-help-when-you-cant-in-a-car-crash/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/02/26/splitsecnd-calls-for-help-when-you-cant-in-a-car-crash/#commentsTue, 26 Feb 2013 23:02:39 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=628825Splitsecnd's hardware plugs into car cigarette lighters, making automatic emergency response systems accessible to drivers without smartphones or luxury cars.
]]>Everything can change in a split second. Car crashes kill over 30,000 people a year in America, and Splitsecnd launched today to bring that number down.

Splitsecnd is a crash detection and emergency response system. It works through a small piece of hardware that plugs into a car’s cigarette lighter. In the event of a collision, Splitsecnd automatically calls for help.

“The idea is to make it really easy to get the help you need in the event of an accident and reduce the amount of time it takes for emergency to get there,” said CEO and founder Chris Thompson in an interview with VentureBeat. “People want to make sure their grandparents, kids, and spouses have something that connects them immediately to help. An phone app is not a good solution. Built-in solutions are only available in luxury cars, and our closest competitor is OnStar, which requires professional installation. All you have to do with Splitsecnd is plug it in.”

If a serious accident occurs, a driver (or their passengers) may not be able to call for help themselves. Splitsecnd uploads the car’s location to a cellular data network and notifies a response center. Someone at the response center will assess the situation and deploy a local 911 team if necessary. The device also has a backup battery charger so it can function even if it’s expelled from the car. The team spent time doing crash tests at the University of Michigan, simulating the worst case scenario to see how Splitsecnd help up. Thompson said that the collisions made a lot of noise, but they could still hear the device making the call.

On-road safety is not only about collisions, however. During early market research for the product, Thompson discovered that most people wanted to buy Splitsecnd for someone else.

“We found that people want to buy this for people they care about,” Thompson said. “Husbands want to buy it for their wives, and wives want to buy it for their husbands. My grandparents are pretty good drivers, but they don’t really use cell phones. My grandfather had three heart attacks. If he had heart attack in the car, he can push the ‘help’ button and be connected. Splitscnd is able to take over when you may not be able to.”

The Family Finder feature monitors the safety of your loved ones in real time. This is useful for senior citizens, who may be prone to getting lost, but particularly for the parents of teenagers who want to know where their kids are.

Thompson said that shaving just a minute off response time could reduce morbidity and mortality of auto accidents by 6 percent. Furthermore, there is a wealth of possibilities in the realm of connected cars. The “Internet of Things,” and particularly of cars, are hot topics right now in the tech world. Startups and international corporations alike are taking interest in this area. Earlier this year, Cisco and NXP announced a strategic investment in Cohda Wireless, which builds hardware to make cars smarter. Intel Capital formed the Connected Car Fund a year ago, dedicating $100 million toward technology that connects cars to the web.

Splitsecnd, however, is not geared toward people who interested in hi-tech. The startup’s mission is to make heightened automobile safety accessible to people without smartphones or GPS systems, who aren’t driving luxury cars, and who may not be the most tech savvy. Thompson said the company will start with online sales only, but the plan is to grow into more traditional retail outlets, big box stores, and car dealerships. The device costs $199, with a $14.99 a month fee.

To fuel this growth, Nashville-based Splitsecnd raised $2.1 million from Tennessee Community Ventures, the INCITE co-investment fund, the Jumpstart Foundry, and a private investor.

For now, Splitsecnd is focuses on emergency response. However, the realm of machine-to-machine communication is wide and there are plenty of applications down-the-road.

Photo Credit: JasonParis/Flickr

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/02/26/splitsecnd-calls-for-help-when-you-cant-in-a-car-crash/feed/1628825Splitsecnd calls for help when you can’t in a car crashCars.com invests in RepairPal to try to keep mechanics honesthttp://venturebeat.com/2013/02/11/cars-com-invests-in-repairpal-to-keep-mechanics-honest/
http://venturebeat.com/2013/02/11/cars-com-invests-in-repairpal-to-keep-mechanics-honest/#respondMon, 11 Feb 2013 19:12:06 +0000http://venturebeat.com/?p=620222RepairPal.com uses data to provide consumers with credible information about car repairs, and it received $13 million to build out its product and network.
]]>I may not be a licensed driver, but I have mooched enough rides off other people to appreciate the value of a good mechanic.

RepairPal.com, which simplifies the process of car maintenance, has received $13 million in funding fuel to expand its network.

“RepairPal is doing for auto repair what Cars.com did for car purchasing,” said Greg McGivney, Cars.com’s vice president of strategy and business development, in a statement. “When transparency, expert advice and high standards reign, the customer wins. RepairPal has its priorities in the right place and we believe they will transform the auto repair industry.”

Cars.com and Castrol innoVentures led this round and will support RepairPal with expertise and strategic resources as well as financing.

Servicing a car is generally an expensive and stressful process. The average person does not have intimate knowledge of a vehicle’s inner-workings, nor a strong sense of how various repairs should be priced, especially as cars have become more complicated with on-board computers and other electronics. As a result, many consumers are easy targets for being overcharged, as they’re unaware of subpar work and are likely to sign up for unnecessary services.

To protect against these sorts of swindles, sites like Car Talk and Angie’s List collect user-generated tips and reviews. However, like any crowdsourced forum, the content comes from the opinions of strangers and is not necessarily trustworthy.

RepairPal uses data analytics to give consumers objective and legitimate information. Its system collects data from surveys, repair invoices, manufacturers, and so on to estimate the cost and time requirements of common repairs and services.

“We arm consumers with all the information needed to ensure they get the right services at the right price,” said the company on its site.

Once they have obtained all the relevant information, users can also search for trusted, certified, qualified mechanics in their area. The technicians who service the cars then write reports with “essential insights” about associated repairs, details about parts and procedures, and other tidbits to keep in mind. RepairPal also provides a centralized online location to maintain all car records and advice.

So far, there are 200 shops in the RepairPal network across 35 states, with multiple locations in California, New York, Chicago, Denver, Texas, Seattle, Las Vegas, and Miami. The funding will add shops and markets as well as accelerate product development. Features in the pipelines include reminders about upcoming oil changes or other services.

RepairPal was founded in 2007 and is located in San Francisco. This brings its total amount raised to $20.35 million.

]]>http://venturebeat.com/2013/02/11/cars-com-invests-in-repairpal-to-keep-mechanics-honest/feed/0620222Cars.com invests in RepairPal to try to keep mechanics honest